claiming crown | Horse Racing Free Tips

Jesus’ Team Triumphs In Claiming Crown Jewel On His Way To The Pegasus

Prepping for a planned start in the $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational (Grade 1) Jan. 23 at Gulfstream Park, Grupo 7C Racing Stable's Jesus' Team returned to winning form in Saturday's $150,000 Claiming Crown Jewel at the historic Hallandale Beach racetrack.

The Jewel headlined the 22nd edition of the Claiming Crown, a nine-stakes event that pays tribute to the claiming horses that provide the backbone of day-to-day racing programs at racetracks throughout the country.

Jesus' Team hadn't won in six starts since defeating $25,000 claimers at Gulfstream May 8, but the 3-year-old son of Tapiture earned 2-5 favoritism Saturday after finishing third in the Preakness Stakes (G1) at Pimlico and the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1) at Keeneland in his two most recent starts.

“I think the race was good for him because he only had the one work since the Breeders' Cup. After the Breeders' Cup he was in Ocala in a round pen and small paddock,” trainer Jose D'Angelo said. “I think he's going very well into the Pegasus World Cup.”

Ridden by Luis Saez, Jesus' Team saved ground while racing directly behind Storm Runner, who set fractions of 23.14 and 46.40 seconds for the first half-mile of the 1 1/8-mile stakes for horses that had raced at least once for a claiming price of $35,000 or lower in 2019-2020. Storm Runner, who finished off the board in the 2019 Fountain of Youth (G2) and Florida Derby (G1), set an uncontested pace along the backstretch and around the far turn under Corey Lanerie before entering the homestretch with a clear lead. Saez eased Jesus' Team off the rail coming off the turn into the homestretch, and the overachieving colt gradually wore down the pacesetter to prevail by three quarters of a length.

“This is a very nice horse, who ran a very big race last time. I knew today would be a little tough, because he ran so big last time out, but he has such a big heart,” Saez said. “Today, I had to ride him a little hard, but he gave me that kick and always tries. He's a nice horse.”

Jesus's Team ran 1 1/8 miles in 1:49.30.

“I know the speed might be hard to beat, so I'm very happy with his race,” D'Angelo said.

Dale Romans-trained Storm Runner, who won a $20,000 claiming race and a starter allowance race in his only two starts this year, finished two-lengths ahead of Dack Janiel's, who had stalked the pace outside Jesus' Team.

After winning the $25,000 claiming race in May and finishing second behind graded-stakes winner Sole Volante in an allowance in June at Gulfstream, Jesus' Team finished fourth in the Haskell (G1) and second in the ungraded Pegasus at Monmouth. He went on to finish third in the Jim Dandy (G2) at Saratoga before earning G1 placings in the Preakness and Dirt Mile.

“I am very sure he's going to improve because this race worked out very good for him,” D'Angelo said. “I can give him some days off and prepare him for the Pegasus World Cup.”

D'Angelo was a champion trainer in Venezuela and saddled his first starter in the U.S. after venturing to South Florida in June 2019.

“I feel blessed,” D'Angelo said.

The post Jesus’ Team Triumphs In Claiming Crown Jewel On His Way To The Pegasus appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Gulfstream: Saturday’s Claiming Crown Card Features Guaranteed Pool Of $250,000 In Rainbow 6

The 20-cent Rainbow 6 jackpot will be guaranteed at $250,000 Saturday, when the popular multi-race wager's six-race sequence will include six Claiming Crown Stakes.

The $150,000 Claiming Crown Jewel will kick off the Rainbow 6 sequence in Race 6. Grupo 7C Stable's Jesus' Team, who finished third in the Oct. 3 Preakness (G1) and second in the Nov. 7 Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1) in his two most recent starts, is rated as the 6-5 morning-line favorite for the 1 1/8-mile feature for 3-year-olds and up that have started for a claiming price of $35,000 or lower. The Jose D'Angelo-trained 3-year-old son of Tapiture is scheduled to prep for a planned start in the $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1) at Gulfstream Park.

The co-featured $95,000 Emerald, a mile 1 1/16-mile turf stakes for 3-year-olds and up that have started for a claiming price of $25,000 or lower, follows in Race 7. Saffie Joseph Jr.-trained Tusk is scheduled to come off an 11th month layoff since a victory in the Tropical Park Turf (G3) in January. Trainer Michael Maker, the all-time leader in Claiming Crown victories for a trainer, entered six horses (including one also-eligible), headed by defending champion Muggsamatic.

The $85,000 Rapid Transit, the $95,000 Tiara, the $90,000 Canterbury, and the $75,000 Iron Horse will complete the Rainbow 6 sequence.

The $80,000 Glass Slipper (Race 2), the $75,000 Express (Race 4) and the $90,000 Distaff Dash (Race 5) will kick off the popular Claiming Crown event.

The Rainbow 6 went unsolved went for the third straight day of the 2020-2021 Championship Meet Friday, when multiple tickets with all six winners were each worth $36,663.54.

The jackpot pool is only paid out when there is a single unique ticket sold with all six winners. On days when there is no unique ticket, 70 percent of that day's pool goes back to those bettors holding tickets with the most winners, while 30 percent is carried over to the jackpot pool.

The post Gulfstream: Saturday’s Claiming Crown Card Features Guaranteed Pool Of $250,000 In Rainbow 6 appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

TVG’s Weekend Coverage Features Cigar Mile, Opening Of Los Al, Gulfstream

The Cigar Mile (G1) headlines horse racing coverage from coast to coast this weekend on TVG featuring racing from Aqueduct, Fair Grounds and Tampa Bay Downs alongside opening weekend cards from Los Alamitos and Gulfstream Park.

The prestigious Cigar Mile (G1) is the tenth and final race of the day on a star-studded card from Aqueduct which includes three additional graded stakes races – the $150,000 Remsen Stakes (G2), the $100,000 Go for Wand Handicap (G3) and the $150,000 Demoiselle Stakes (G2). The Cigar Mile has attracted a contentious field of nine including multiple graded stakes winner Firenze Fire, last seen finishing third in the Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1) for trainer Kelly Breen.

Los Alamitos will kick off their afternoon Thoroughbred meet on Friday and TVG's Christina Blacker and Britney Eurton will be live trackside throughout the weekend with analysis and selections. Saturday's featured race is the $300,000 Starlet Stakes (G1) for juvenile fillies. Princess Noor tops the field of five for trainer Bob Baffert and jockey Victor Espinoza. The two-time graded stakes winning daughter of Not This Time will be trying to improve off of a fifth-place finish in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1). The Thoroughbred meet at Los Alamitos will run through Sunday, Dec. 20.

Gulfstream Park began their Championship Meet on Wednesday and this weekend will host the popular Claiming Crown which will feature an eleven-race card, nine of which are stakes races, and purses over $800,000. The stakes races include the $150,000 Claiming Crown Jewel which will be run at 1 1/8 miles and has drawn an accomplished field of eight including Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1) runner-up Jesus' Team for trainer Jose Francisco D'Angelo. Luis Saez will be aboard the 3-year-old son of Tapiture who rose up from the claiming ranks this spring to finish third in the Preakness Stakes (G1).

The stakes action will continue at Fair Grounds on Saturday with the $75,000 Pan Zareta Stakes, the featured race on the nine-race program. A turf sprint for fillies and mares, the race has drawn a full field of fourteen contenders including Into Mystic, the 5-2 morning line favorite for trainer Brendan Walsh. A 4-year-old daughter of Into Mischief, she is trying to rebound off of a twelfth-place finish in the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint (G1) and will have Ricardo Santana, Jr. in the irons.

In addition to racing from Aqueduct, Los Alamitos, Gulfstream Park and Fair Grounds, TVG will also be featuring Tampa Bay Downs, Laurel Park and more. Fans can tune in on TVG, TVG2 and the Watch TVG app which is available on Amazon Fire, Roku and connected Apple TV devices.

The post TVG’s Weekend Coverage Features Cigar Mile, Opening Of Los Al, Gulfstream appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Trainer Mike Maker Tries To Cap Banner Season With 11 Entrants In Claiming Crown

Winding down the best season of his career and coming in off the Churchill Downs' fall title, trainer Mike Maker looks to add to his record 17 victories when the 2020 Claiming Crown returns to Gulfstream Park on Saturday, Dec. 5.

Maker has 11 horses spread among five of the nine stakes comprising the Claiming Crown, which serves as a Breeders' Cup-style championship for the blue-collar horses that are the backbone of American racing.

The Claiming Crown stakes are run under starter-allowance conditions, restricted to horses who have competed for a designated claiming price or cheaper within a certain time frame. The Claiming Crown is a partnership between the National Horsemen's Benevolent & Protective Association and the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association. This is the event's 22nd year and ninth straight at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla.

Maker aims to improve on what already is his best season since leaving his job as an assistant trainer to D. Wayne Lukas to open his own stable in 2003. His horses have won a career-best 253 races (third in North America) and more than $13.47 million (fifth in North America) this year through Thursday. That includes Maker earning his third Breeders' Cup victory with Three Diamonds Farm's Fire At Will in the $1 million Juvenile Turf at Keeneland, one of the stable's trio of Grade 1 winners in 2020, the others being Zulu Alpha in Gulfstream's Pegasus World Cup Turf and Aquaphobia in Monmouth Park's United Nations.

“I'm very happy, and hopefully we can add to it this weekend,” he said of his season.

Maker, who also won the Kentucky Downs' 2020 training title, seeks to pad his 33 stakes victories this year (fourth in North America) in the Claiming Crown.

Headlining his contingent is Three Diamonds' 5-year-old mare Jakarta, the 8-5 morning-line favorite in the $90,000 Claiming Crown Distaff Dash at five-eighths of a mile on turf. Jakarta won Gulfstream Park's Powder Break Stakes last year and this year captured Kentucky Downs' $100,000 Claiming Crown prep before finishing a close third behind multiple Grade 1 winner Got Stormy in Keeneland's Grade 3 Buffalo Trace Franklin County.

Maker's six entries by themselves would make a great betting race in the $95,000 Emerald, a 1 1/16-mile turf affair that attracted an overflow field. The six pack includes 2019 winner Muggsamatic, who was moved to his barn in the spring; 7-2 favorite Hieroglyphics, a winner of two straight in New York; Apreciado, third in last year's W.L. McKnight (G3) at Gulfstream; Iowa-bred Artie's Rumor, a winner in an Oct. 22 Keeneland allowance race in his first start after the $40,000 claim; Aqueduct's 2019 Gio Ponti winner Temple, and Sniper Kitten. Owned by 16-time Claiming Crown-winning owners Ken and Sarah Ramsey, Sniper Kitten needs two defections in order to get in the 12-horse field.

The Maker Claiming Crown assembly also includes 3-1 second choice Unmoored and the stakes-placed Tiger Blood in the $90,000 Canterbury at five-eighths of a mile on turf; 7-2 second choice and recent $25,000 claim Long Blade in the $75,000, six-furlong Express; and Treasure Trove, claimed for $40,000 in his last start and the 7-2 second choice in the $150,000 Jewel at 1 1/8 miles.

“I think we've got a good group of horses,” Maker said. “Jakarta fits very well. Treasure Trove was claimed in Indiana with this spot in mind, with Jesus' Team obviously the one to beat there. We're tough in the Canterbury but Fiya looks awful tough. A lot of live chances as far the Emerald, but I don't think they can separate any of our horses. I think it will come down to the trip.”

While owners such as Three Diamonds, Paradise Farms, David Staudacher, Michael Dubb, Ken and Sarah Ramsey, and Hooties Racing, Michael Hui and WSS Racing also compete at the top of the game, Maker says his clients really enjoy the Claiming Crown. The trainer said he claims a fair number of horses with not only the Claiming Crown in mind but also the lucrative prep races at Kentucky Downs.

“It's a good way to finish off the year,” Maker said. “We've claimed a lot of horses, a lot of horses fit here, and we've had good success. It's a great way to kick off the meet at Gulfstream. It's been a lot of fun. When you claim a horse, you kind of figure out how to get out (investment-wise) and make money, and the Claiming Crown is one of the factors that always goes into the decision.”

The post Trainer Mike Maker Tries To Cap Banner Season With 11 Entrants In Claiming Crown appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post